Higher Values and Global Squirrels

We have six core values at Red Squirrel. Two are the foundation of four others. Our foundation is built on Trust and Empathy. In this post, we are highlighting our four higher-level values through showcasing squirrels in their natural habitats around the world.

Makis Otman lives Limassol, Cyprus. He is an example of our value of Flexibility. Makis works four days a week, Monday through Thursday. A shorter work week provides him with a better quality of life.

Flexibility: Each of us should be able to fit our work into our unique living situation, with the understanding that we all have a weekly billable target. We celebrate a wide variety of geographies, family responsibilities, recreational activities, and side hustles.

Dami Ifedayo lives in in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an example of our value of Vulnerability. Dami consistently asks for more insight into what needs to be built. He is a "measure twice, cut once" sort of engineer, courageously seeking clarity rather than simply hacking.

Vulnerability: We work in a field that is constantly changing and with clients who are depending on us to discern what they need. Without the courage to be vulnerable and ask questions in the face of this pressure, we suffer through fearful, solitary days struggling to solve problems, isolated from each other. Instead, we celebrate courageous curiosity and seek to engender more of it by consistently responding with non-judgmental support when we ask each other for help.

Michael Dumalag, Mandy McDorman, and Danny Pham live in Southern California. They are examples of our value of Whole Self. As Dev Bootcamp graduates, they are familiar with bringing many aspects of themselves to work, helping them tap into their whole minds as engineers.

Whole Self: When we show up for work, we seek to bring in as much of ourselves as we can. Bringing only a narrow slice of ourselves to work means that we have to spend energy covering the rest of ourselves from our co-workers and clients. We recognize that under-represented aspects of ourselves are scarier to bring to work, so we strive to create a space where everyone feels increasingly safe to show up completely.

Marissa Biesecker lives in Porto, Portugal. She is an example of our value of Journey. Through competing hard in futebol, surfing, learning the ukulele, studying Stoicism, reading about algorithms, and building blockchains, she inspires us through her adventurous spirit.

Journey: We support and encourage every squirrel on their journey toward what's next for them. This support might be our shared enthusiasm for a hobby that another squirrel is aspiring to adopt. This support might be creating a roadmap with another squirrel to help them land a new job that has been a lifelong dream. Living our Purpose means that we will often be a stepping stone for people as they unleash their own potential.